What Procedures Can Be Practiced on Medical Manikins?

Classification of Medical Manikins — From Basic Modules to High-Fidelity “Patients”

There are different types of medical manikins available which range from simple anatomy trainers to more sophisticated, lifelike manikins.

Category	Typical Models	Main Focus	Used By
Basic Care & Diagnostic Models	Infant care model, transparent gastric lavage model, intramuscular injection model	Basic nursing & assessment skills	Nursing schools, early students
Full-body patient simulator with vital signs and monitor	IV puncture arm, airway management head, CPR torso, urinary catheterization trainer	Obstetric delivery model, newborn resuscitation model, and laparoscopic surgical trainer	Clinical skill labs
HighFidelity Simulators	One or a few skills	Integrated emergency or ICU scenarios	Hospitals, simulation centers
Specialized Models	Obstetric delivery model, newborn resuscitation model, laparoscopic surgical trainer	Professional or specialty procedures	OBGYN, pediatrics, surgery

These form a step-by-step learning ladder, where each model type supports a different level of training — from beginner to advanced clinical team scenarios.

What Procedures Can Be Practiced on Different Medical Manikins?

Let’s break it down by training category.

Basic Nursing & Diagnostic Skills

Common Model Types

•  Infant Care Model (Bathing, Diapering, Temperature Measurement)
•  Transparent Gastric Lavage Model
•  Intramuscular Injection Models
•  IV Puncture Training Arm
•  Urinary Catheterization Models (Male/Female)
•  Basic Patient Care Full Body Model

Main Skills to Practice:  

•  Performing Basic Hygiene and Daily Care  
•  Feeding, Oral Care, and Diaper Change  
•  Gastric Lavage and Nasogastric Tube Insertion  
•  IM and SQ Injections, IV Puncture  
•  Monitoring Vital Signs and Performing Basic Nursing Assessment  

Advantages:  

•  Simplicity and Low Cost, Which Makes Them Suitable For Repetitive Training  
•  Outstanding For Early-Stage Students To Build Their Hand Confidence  

Limitations:  

•  Low Realism, No Physiological Feedback, and No Speech Make Them Suitable for Low-Level Training  
•  Mostly Individual Skill Practice  

Best For:  

Nursing Schools For Training In Foundation Skills, Entry Level Medical Students, OSCE Preparation

Emergency & Critical Care (ICU / First Aid)

Common Model Types:

• Comprehensive CPR training manikin  
• Advanced airway management model  
• Defibrillation and ECG training model  
• Trauma and bleeding control model  
• Simulated patient with a vital sign monitor  

Main Skills to Practice:

• Basic & advanced CPR (adult, child, infant)  
• Airway management: mask ventilation, intubation, tracheotomy  
• AED/defibrillator use and cardiac rhythm identification  
• Hemorrhage control, fracture immobilization, trauma management  
• ICU patient monitoring and resuscitation teamwork  

Advantages:

• Realistic physiological feedback (heart rate, breathing, pulse)  
• Enables team coordination and crisis drills  
• Great for ACLS/BLS certification and hospital code blue training  

Limitations:  

• Higher purchase and maintenance costs  
• Requires instructor setup and scenario programming  

Best For:

Emergency and ICU departments, paramedic training, and hospital simulation centers.

Internal Medicine & Interventional Procedures

Common Model Types:  

• Venipuncture and infusion trainer  
• Central venous catheterization model  
• Thoracentesis and paracentesis model  
• Lumbar puncture trainer  
• Ultrasound-guided puncture simulator  

Main Skills to Practice:  

• Peripheral and central venous access  
• Thoracentesis, paracentesis  
• Lumbar puncture and spinal anesthesia  
• Ultrasound-guided procedures  
• Medication infusion and sterile technique  

Advantages  

• Realistic anatomy and tactile feedback  
• Great for intermediate to advanced learners  
• Reduces risk before real-patient practice  

Limitations:  

• Focused on single-procedure practice  
• May require ultrasound or imaging device support  

Best For:

Internal medicine, anesthesiology, critical care residents, and clinical skill examination.  

Surgical & Perioperative Skills  

Common Model Types:  

• Surgical suturing and knot-tying model  
• Laparoscopic surgery training box  
• Tracheostomy and cricothyrotomy model  
• Chest tube insertion model  
• Hemostasis and trauma surgery trainer  

Main Skills to Practice:  

• Surgical incision, suturing, and knot tying  
• Tracheostomy and airway emergency procedures  
• Chest drainage and trauma management  
• Laparoscopic coordination and camera handling  
• Hemostasis and wound management  

Advantages:  

• High tactile realism, suitable for surgical skill repetition  
• Builds confidence before real operations  

Limitations:  

• Consumable parts need replacement  
• Requires surgical instruments and setup space  

Best For:  

Surgical residents, trauma teams, and operating room staff.

Obstetrics & Pediatrics

Common Model Types:

• Obstetric delivery model.  
• Postpartum hemorrhage management simulator.  
• Newborn care model.  
• Neonatal resuscitation trainer (NRP) models.  
• Pediatric IV and airway management model.  

Obstetric Training:  

• Performing a simulation for normal and difficult labor.  
• Postpartum hemorrhage management.  
• Fetal heart monitoring and delivery techniques.  

Pediatric & Neonatal Training:  

• Newborn resuscitation (airway, chest compression, medication).  
• Pediatric IV access and intraosseous infusion.  
• Team-based pediatric emergency scenarios.

Advantages:  

• High specialty realism, ideal for mother-baby coordination training.  
• Enhance inter-team coordination and response for pediatric and obstetric emergencies.  

Limitations:  

• Being more specialized and the cost per unit increases.  
• Requires more specific trainers and scenarios.

Best For:  

OBGYN schools, midwifery programs, pediatric and neonatal care teams.

How to Choose the Right Manikin

While choosing training tools, one must take into account the educational objectives, the level of the learners, and the resources at hand.

Decision Factor	Key Question	Suggested Choice
Training Objective	What skills need to be mastered?	Choose the corresponding specialty model (e.g,. nursing, emergency, surgery).
Learner Stage	Beginner or advanced clinical learner?	Lower fidelity for basics, higher for complex cases.
Budget & Maintenance	What’s your cost and support capacity?	Choose the corresponding specialty model (e.g, nursing, emergency, surgery).
Frequency of Use	Daily lab use or periodic assessment?	Frequent → durable models; occasional → specialized ones.
Team vs. Individual Practice	Single learner or group scenario?	Combine basic trainers with selective high-fidelity models.
Curriculum Integration	How does it fit the program?	Design progressive learning: basic → intermediate → advanced.

Start simple. With schools and hospitals, constructing a tiered simulation system makes sense. For large classes, basic care and task trainers can be utilized, and then high-fidelity or specialty models incorporated for advanced practice.

Conclusion

Medical manikins are more than plastic figures — they help turn classroom education into tangible patient care skills.

In simulation training, learners and practitioners are able to:

• Practise vigilance, avoiding real patients.
• Rehearse life-threatening, high-stakes agile decisions.
• Enhance safety and reduce the likelihood of patient harm.
• Enhance collaborative performance under stress.
• Foster confidence and competence for further clinical activities.

Every person involved — student, educator, or training manager — simulation-based practice offers unmatched potential to better the quality of care provided and patient outcomes.

Fewer simulations means more risk for patients.

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